Fujifilm FinePix F31fd review

A classic! One of the most sought-after cameras, with pretty high second hand value. And there is a good reason for that.

It is something as uncommon as a pocketable low light camera, and perhaps the best ever made. I have been told Fuji's later models are not as good, trading low noise and image quality for more resolution. At 6 Mp, the resolution is more than enough.

The top feature of the camera is the low noise, making ISO 800 perfectly fine, and ISO 1600 fairly usable, while most other cameras canät go higher than ISO 200 without ruining the image in noise. I mostly use the camera in "Auto 800".

The "face detection" feature, however, is little more than a toy. I rarely use it. The movie mode, however, is excellent and is frequently used.

Problems:

The autofocus is pretty slow, at least compared to my Ricoh's. I have also noticed signs of over-processing in dark areas, but it is hard to reproduce.

Usage is OK, but not first rate. I find my self making mistakes too often.

In good light, the camera can not compete with a Ricoh for features (wide angle, zoom, etc). In low light, however, it is a winner.